Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Guess Who Moved to Boulder? Plus, My Best Tips for Cold Weather Running

I’m not going to complain about the fact that it is colder in Colorado tonight than it has been in our state on this date for the past 100 years (-13 tonight).

I am not going to f-ing complain about the fact that I tried to run outside and had to turn around after one mile. I am not going to bitch about how my butt froze through my tights (really it did. It was like one big ass cube. Get it? ASS CUBE!). I lost feeling in my feet and my face became dangerously close to being frostbitten (for some reason I don’t really want to walk around with a face that is chronically black from frostbite, no matter how much I do love to run).

Our poor exchange student is from a warm island off the coast of Barcelona. He does not know what has hit him. Emma asked if he wanted to go sledding and he said “what is sledding?” It is fun to be part of all of these “firsts” for him although I do fear that despite 45 showers a day he will never warm up again.

photo

photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a different note, why didn’t anyone tell me Kara Goucher moved back to Boulder? I can’t believe she didn’t call to tell me. I had to read about it in Women’s Running magazine.  Here she is running one of my favorite routes today. Clearly she is tougher than I am, but we all knew that:

For those of you also experiencing this polar asshole vortex, here are some tips for running in the cold (from one of my 2012 posts):

1.  Be grateful: Stop your whining and remember that you can run. You get to run. There are many people too sick, disabled or injured to do what you are complaining about. Some people would kill to go just one mile in your frozen shoes. So, adjust your attitude fool!

2. Know that cold is easier than hot: Running in the cold can actually be less taxing on your body than running in the heat. Your body doesn’t have to work as hard to cool down and this can increase performance and energy.

3. Sleep in your clothes: If you are really desperate, sleep in your running tights and base layer. That way you don’t have to go through the extra step of getting undressed and dressed in the morning. You might get up easier, but I’m not promising this will do wonders for your sex life.

4. Get the right gear: Not only should you make sure you’ve got the correct cold weather gear for your climate (see HERE for some guidelines), but treat yourself to a new, fun, sassy running item (thongs might be inadvisable). Maybe this will make getting dressed and hitting the road a bit easier.

5. Have someone waiting on you: I’ve said it before, but there is almost no better motivation than to know someone or a group is waiting for you to show up for a run. Do you really want to be the pussy of the group?

6. Have a warm reward: Know that after your cold run, you will treat yourself to something toasty and warm like a latte, a hot bath or a cup of tea by the fire.

7. Remember the bad-ass effect: Not everyone runs when it’s cold outside. It takes stamina, balls and determination. Tell yourself that every car that passes you is impressed by your fortitude. You may be lying to yourself, but at least it can provide temporary motivation.

8. Know you’ll be less SAD: Research has shown that running in the cold can actually reduce symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Running can release feel good hormones that stave off depression, decrease anxiety and promote a general feeling of contentment.

9. Let your goal stare you in the face: If you are training for something, want to lose weight, or are simply just trying to stay in shape, write your goal down on a sticky note and put it on your alarm clock or bathroom mirror. Sometimes these little powers of suggestion can be the extra push you need.

P1130232

10. Sign up: There are all kinds of short races throughout the winter time – Peppermint Schnapps 10Ks and Freeze Your Ass Off 5 Milers. Sign up for one just to keep your head in the game.

What are your tips cold weather running?

Who is the most famous person that lives in your town or close to you? I have no clue – Kara Goucher and I think Miranda Carfrae lives somewhere around here too.

Would you rather run in extreme hot or cold? I’ll take hot.

Now I’m off to watch Survivor because they are at the warm beach even if they are dehydrated, bitchy and starving.

SUAR

26 comments:

  1. I've run at -20f when living in Fairbanks, Alaska. And there are people there running at -40f. No advice, but it can be done. That being said, I don't miss it either!
    Doesn't Scott Jurek live in your neck of the woods, too?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I live in Alaska and run year round...all I can say is suck it up teehee although it was in the 40's today

    ReplyDelete
  3. I prefer the hot over the cold snow any day, but with that said, I find myself moving closer and closer to the treadmill as it gets darker and colder in the morning. I think it would be better for me if I was able to run in the sun however I leave for work in the dark and drive home in the dark so I better replace my batteries in my head lamp!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just love the fact that you're in (or near?) Boulder. I went to school there and I miss it TERRIBLY. Even when it's -100 degrees. So many great memories, and fantastic running!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yep, the badass factor is what gets me outside in the winter. That and my 17 year old treadmill has started spitting chunks of plastic at me during the rare times I run on it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. All kinds of famous people roll through here. I think the closest famous person who lives here permanently is either Drew Brees or Carville, who are both just a few blocks away.

    ReplyDelete
  7. tips for running in the winter... move to the south hemisphere.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Channel your inner tusk. Just think, it could be worse. You could be living in Edmonton.

    Nobody famous lives in Calgary. Infamous, I'll grant you. We've got to do something abut that Harper guy. We have a mayor that's very well thought of, but he's not famous like Rob Ford. Now THATS famous.

    I'd far rather run in cold than heat. You can keep adding layers. People object to some of us removing layers. Like me. Nobody wants to see me removing some layers.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I prefer cool weather but if we are talking extremes....HOT! I don't like extreme cold enough, unless I can master sipping hot coco while I run! I know Hal Higdon only lives a couple hours from me but that's about it. When it gets cold and snowy, you need to make sure you either run with a group or let someone know where you are going. Accidents happen and they happen more when it is slick and nasty!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You know he's not taking those 45 showers to "warm up," right?! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks SUAR! I live in Minnesota, and feel your pain. Quite literally. I ran outside all last winter (I think -20 actual air temp was my record), and the two things that saved me were Athleta Polartec tights and a good softshell jacket with a hood. And a sense of humor and adventure.

    ReplyDelete
  12. George Bush Senior and Barbara Bush live in Houston. She goes to almost all of the Astros game. Beyoncé is from Houston, but has decided to betray her birth for NYC. There are lots of people that live here, but can't think of them.
    I love running in Springtime or Fall weather. It's not as hot or cold. With our Texas Summers, you have to really plan accordingly to not die or have to scrap your skin off the sidewalk.

    I think sleeping in your running gear is a great idea to also keep your clothes warm. Nothing says pussing out like putting on cold clothes on top of your cold and useless running body ( or that's what I tell myself when trying to talk it out of running).

    ReplyDelete
  13. Last year was the first year I bailed on a race at negative temps. It was just so cold I couldn't feel my toes and I was in so much pain I opted to go home. Totally worth it. I can say I've run in negative temps, blizzards, rainstorms. Bailing when it's cold sometimes is self preservation.

    I still choose cold.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My biggest cold weather tip is to have the right clothes!!! I have yet to find gloves though... they are either not warm enough, or they're too warm and my hands sweat and then freeze! So if you have any suggestions, let me know! I guess the closest famous person to me (Central PA) is Kate Gosselin???? hahahaha. Does she count???

    ReplyDelete
  15. Illinois is pretty cold already. I feel I have to plan on a lot of cold runs this year (again...). Dang, this polar vortex is going to really bring down the miles over the winter. Looks like it's going to be the indoor track or the dreadmill. As I'm getting older I feel my need for warm-weather running is slowly becoming my favorite. This is from someone who 5 years ago, pranced down the snowy trails.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Number 1 and 7 got me out this chilly northern Illinois morning. (Bad-ads in my own mind of course). Thanks for the great motivation.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I like cool temps for running but below 15 or so and I'm likely to be on the treadmill. If it could always be around 40 in the morning and 75 in the day I'd be set. I just moved to Atlanta so hopefully I won't have any sub zero runs now! When I lived in Iowa I did sometimes sleep in my running clothes if I was meeting my running partners really early.
    Of course the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" live here and I'm sure other famous people. Someone mentioned Whitney Houston's daughter was around here too if she counts!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is why God invented treadmills. Wait/what? He didn't? Oh well. Exchange student firsts - reminds me of the time our Austrian exchange student stayed with us. We took him to nascar racing and a Wynona Judd concert. The first day he was with us, a bolt of lightning hit a tree in our front yard, and travelled down into the ground. It stirred up our well water, and the water that flowed into our sinks and toilets was a very dirty brown for a couple days. "Normal american water."

    ReplyDelete
  19. NJ Chris Christie lives in my town. And Whitney Houston used to have a house here years ago. It just sold earlier this year.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'd rather run in cold than hot....At least in the winter, you can pile on extra layers. In the summer, there is only so much shedding of the clothing you can do before being cited for indecent exposure. And even if you could run naked without people being mortified....it's probably still miserably hot. My best winter running advice? DRESS APPROPRIATELY! Don't rush out in shorts and one layer and then be surprised that you're on the brink of death. Most importantly, cover your face...invest in a warm buff or face mask. And light yourself up like a christmas tree! Neon only for the next six months (at least in my neck of the woods).
    I live in a small town in rural north idaho but....we actually have a few stars who hide out here. I've spotted Ben Stein more than a few times in our local market. Also, Viggo Mortenson owns a home here and has even done an art show in town. Let me tell you, every middle aged woman in town lined up for that one.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Last year I bought a gator mask and it made such a difference. It has ventilation holes in it so didn't interfere with breathing and is made of neoprene so stays up on its own. I didn't want a full out ski mask because I didn't want to look like a bank robber. You know it was a bad winter here because for a while all the stores were sold out of ski masks etc.

    I prefer running in the heat rather than freezing cold. I love a hot sweat, even if I'm dripping buckets. When I run in the cold I just feel damp and chilled to the bone.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, I love running in cold… it's just so much easier. I truly think that the key to running a fast race would be training somewhere hellish like Florida and then racing in cold climates. I cut 1.5-2 minutes off my times from middle Summer to middle Winter. It's amazing. I used to live right on Lake Michigan and running by a snow covered frozen lake is simply stunning.. Additionally, I don't lose 4 pounds of water on long runs in the cold. My only tip is that something to cover your ears is absolutely essential. There is simply nothing worse than painfully cold ears or cold whipping wind into your ear hole.

    Famous person? I live in St. Louis and I hear the music legend Chuck Berry lives very near to me, but I've never seen him.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kara and I are Strava buddies, so I knew

    ReplyDelete
  24. Living in NM not a lot of cold weather tips. Shorts + hoodie= perfect gear for a winter run. But then again I've been told I'm crazy running in 30-40 degrees in shorts. No better feeling finishing a winter run sweat pouring the contrast hot/cold nothing like it-- hot or cold weather doesn't matter-- being able to run after 2 hip and 3 shoulder surgeries is enough motivation thinking of others who can't or won't run.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Workout instruments tend to be, therefore, really used by those who're possibly over weight, or maybe people with TRX Australia experienced physical problems that avoid them by participating in high-impact physical exercises.
    Frequency Rates of speed along with Settings. Can you may have learned in which not so quick volume rumbling are good for weightloss in addition to Trx Workouts blood flow, although high volume moaning aid to sculpt the entire body.
    These wise machines usually are praised as the following generating of workout equipment. You is an acronym or maybe sits your plate and the vibrations make the TRX Australia tissues from the shape internet marketing activated, as they might be while in ordinary training.
    In truth, a ten small training making use of the denture would wish a 1 hour work out if perhaps was standing for good terrain. Moaning dishes not only able at forming within the physique the truth is, the vibrations Trx Workouts exercising might assist with lower lumpy skin.

    ReplyDelete